


Opposite and Immediate Reaction

by mckinlily



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, You've been warned, this is NOT a snily fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 16:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7941637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mckinlily/pseuds/mckinlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus has something very important to tell Lily. But he's failed to account for one very important factor. And then everything goes sideways.</p><p>Leave it to Potter to mess everything up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Opposite and Immediate Reaction

Severus slid into the seat across from Lily in the library. For a moment, he simply soaked in his nearness to her, watching her lips as she sucked on the end of her quill, her eyebrows pinched together as she skimmed _Jinxes for the Jinxed_. She had numerous other books scattered around her along with scraps of parchment and a few broken quills. Severus knew from experience that what looked like a wild mess was actually what Lily considered a very sophisticated organizational system and the _only_ way to write essays. Once she had it all set up, she was unlikely to leave it, even for the greatest provocations. This last point was important. There had been a time, once, when Severus could have spoken to Lily whenever he wished to, but now, _thanks to Potter_ , he had to chose his timing carefully.

Lily was in the middle of her essay. They were alone in this corner of the library. That time was now.

“Lily.”

Lily jumped, nearly upsetting her inkpot. As soon as she spotted him, she scowled. “Go away,” she hissed, turning back to her books.

“Lily,” he begged. “You’ve got to listen to me.”

“I don’t want to hear any of the vile things you have to say.”

“Why would you assume that?” asked Severus, making his tone hurt, not accusatory. “We were friends once, _best_ friends--”

“Is anything going to make you go away?” said Lily.

“Please, I need to warn you!”

Lily pursed her lips. She looked Severus up and down with an expression of distain he couldn’t understand. She’d once been the sweetest, kindest person in the world. What had made her change?

No, he knew the answer to that, and it made his blood boil.

Across the table, Lily had set her quill down. Her lovely green eyes were narrowed. “Warn me about what?”

“Potter,” said Severus immediately.

“Oh. My. _Lord!_ ” Lily threw her head back, irritation written across her face. “Do you never stop?”

“It’s important!”

Lily went back to her books, not so much working as picking them up and slamming them against the table. “I don’t care what tiff the two of you have gotten into this time. I’m done playing referee, and frankly, your obsession with him is disturbing.”

“I’m not--obsessed--?” spluttered Severus.

Lily gave him a very stern raise of her eyebrows. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

“I --But--He’s fooling you!” He could see he was losing her. Unable to think of anything else to do, he blurted out, “He fancies you!”

Lily just rolled her eyes. “You told me that two years ago.”

“But it’s true!” cried Severus, unable to understand how Lily couldn’t grasp this simple fact.

Lily picked up a textbook and held it in front of her face.

“Lily,” Severus hissed. “I can’t help notice that the two of you have been spending a lot of time together--”

“We’re _friends_.”

Severus’s stomach gave a nasty lurch like he’d missed a step coming down the stairs. Swallowing back bile, he hissed, “But he doesn’t want to be friends with you! He only want to get in your--”

Lily slammed down her book onto the table. “All right,” she snapped. “What makes you so convinced that James fancies me?”

The sound of Lily using Potter’s Christian name so casually momentarily stunned him. He spluttered.

“See?” said Lily. “You can’t even come up with one reason. James does _not_ fancy me.”

“He’s very handsy,” said Severus sullenly.

Lily rolled her eyes. “With _everyone_. Have you seen him with his mates? He hasn’t got the slightest concept of personal space. Last week he spent three days calling Peter ‘darling’ and walking everywhere arm-in-arm with him.”

“It’s different with you,” Severus insisted.

“Why? Because he doesn’t punch me in the gut every chance he gets like he does with Sirius? That’s just because he’s afraid I’d hex him for it.” A hint a pride came to Lily’s voice. “As he should be.”

“He’s always looking for ways to be around you,” said Severus.

“Yeah,” said Lily. “Because we’re _friends_.”

Again, that assertion that she and Potter were friends. The thought made Severus sick.

“Have you even noticed the way he looks at you?” he snapped.

“I assume it’s through his glasses, same way he does with everyone else, since he’s practically blind without them.”

Severus ground his teeth. Across the table, Lily glared at him.

“Merlin’s beard, Sev, do you think I wouldn’t have _noticed_ if he fancied me?” Lily ran her fingers back through her hair, like Potter did when he was frustrated. “Do you think I haven’t scoured every bit of his behavior for even the hint that he might still have feelings for me? Because _believe me_ , Severus, I have, and he does _not_ feel that way about me.”

This wasn’t going according to plan. Severus made to quickly change tactics, but Lily wasn’t done yet.

“Ugh, do you even know how much I’ve--? I’ve dropped hints! I’ve gotten all dolled up, even pulled out some of my Muggle jeans! I’ve asked him for help on homework. I’ve let him copy _my_ homework. I’ve created really nice, really convenient ways for us to spend time alone together. I’ve done the casual ‘Oh, it’s totally an accident that our hands brushed’ thing _way_ too many times for it to be an accident. I’ve even dropped so low as to mention other blokes to make him jealous. And _he hasn’t made a move_.” Angry tears brimmed in Lily’s eyes. “Not _. Once._ ”

By some miracle, Severus managed, through the horror and hate ripping through him, to force out in a snide tone, “Well, Potter’s obviously an idiot--”

“Yes, I _thought_ of that,” interrupted Lily in exasperation. “So I decided to try the direct approach and ask him on a date.”

“You _what??”_

“Asked him. On a date.” She dragged her fingers down her face. “And do you know what happened?”

Severus mutely shook his head.

“ _He brought along Sirius!”_ Lily threw up her hands. “Sirius! All I asked was if he wanted to go to the Ravenclaw-Slytherin quidditch match with me. If he really didn’t want to go on a date with me so badly, he could have just said so! He didn’t have to bring along his bleeding best friend!”

Severus’s brain was moving at approximately the same rate as a flobberworm. In a voice that hardly sounded like his own, he said, “You _like_ him?”

“Of course, I like him! He’s fit, he’s funny, he’s dead fun to be around--and ever since he stopped just hexing people for the fun of it, he’s turned into a really decent guy! And then have you _seen_ him? In those quidditch robes--I swear they were designed to ruin my life. What am I supposed to do when he wanders in at all hours in those things? And that hair!”

Severus let out a strangled sound. “ _Hair?_ ”

“It’s completely unfair! No one should have hair as good as that!”

“It _is_ a burden,” drawled a cool voice. “But someone has to bear it.”

Both Severus and Lily jumped.

Lily recovered first. “I wasn’t talking about you, Black.”

“Oh really?” Suddenly, Black’s voice had a hint of interest. He bent over, balancing his elbows on the back of Lily’s chair. “Pray tell, who _were_ you talking about then?”

“Careful how you answer that.” Of course, where Black was, Potter was, too. “Padfoot’s very touchy about his hair.”

“Shove off, Prongs.”

“Nothing going,” said Potter cheerfully as he dropped into the seat next Lily. “How’s the essay coming, Evans?”

“What are you doing here?” demanded Severus before Lily could respond.

Potter and Black snapped up as if just noticing he was there. But their shock soon wore off, and their faces morphed into identical expressions of disgust.

“Well, you see, we were just starting a very exclusive meeting--” drawled Black.

“Society of the Famously Fabulous Hair, you know--” cut in Potter.

“So you can see exactly how unwelcome you are--”

“That’s enough!” cried Lily.

Potter turned to her with what he clearly thought was a winning smile. “Come now, Lils. Surely you know you would be invited!”

Lily’s lips twitched. _How_ could she still think he was funny?

“But we’ll have to postpone the inauguration,” put in Black, “as Snivellus here--” He threw a disgusted look at Severus “--is an affront to all the Society stands for.”

“I suppose all you care about is what’s on top of your head, Black, since you haven’t got anything inside it.”

“I said that’s _enough!_ ”

Lily glared around at them all. “You--” She pointed at Severus. “--Shut up.” Potter and Black started laughing. Lily frowned at both of them. “I don’t need your help antagonizing Snape,” she told them severely.

Potter immediately tried to hide his laugh as a cough. Lily twisted around to glare at Black.

“ _Especially_ you.”

Black rocked back, apparently stunned. “ _Me??_ ” he gaped silently. Lily deepened her glare, and Black let out a heavy huff. Looking like highly affronted cat, he stalked off for a different part of the library. Severus leaned forward, eager to get his word in, but Potter spoke first.

“Ah bollocks. Now Padfoot’s sulking.”

“I thought Sirius didn’t give one Knut about my opinion,” said Lily, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Well, yes, he _says_ that,” said Potter. “But he also says he likes motorcycles better than broomsticks so you see you can’t always take him at his word.”

Lily snorted, and that snort quickly turned a burst of giggles. Potter looked so smug he actually outdid himself.

It was unbelievable! Severus rounded on Lily. “Do you not see what I mean?”

“See what?” she said in exasperation.

 _See what??_ There was Potter, practically falling out of his seat to be nearer her, eyes tracing her every chance he got, so clearly _proud_ of having wormed his way into Lily’s good graces, ready to take advantage of her as soon as he had the opportunity-- And she was asking _“See what?”_

“Look at him!” Severus gestured wildly at Potter. “How can you not see it?”

“What are you on about?” snapped Potter, his tone was much angrier than Lily’s.

Lily squeezed his arm. “Ignore it,” she said. “He’s just being stupid.”

“Stupid?” cried Severus. “He fancies you!” He glared at Potter. “You fancy her!”

Severus had the great satisfaction of seeing Potter’s face turn slightly pale.

“Uh…”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Lily, patting Potter’s hand. “I know it isn’t true.”

Potter gulped. “Ah…”

Lily turned on Severus. “You can leave now,” she said severely.

Severus had no intention of leaving. But before he could come up with a good argument for staying, Potter, who appeared to have entirely forgotten about Severus now, said in a voice that was slightly higher than his usual one,

“Ah – Uh – Lily? What exactly makes you sure it isn’t true?”

It suddenly occurred to Severus that this was exactly what he did not want to happen.

But Lily likewise seemed to have forgotten Severus existed as she scrubbed furiously at her blushing cheeks. “Well, you’ve made it pretty obvious,” she told Potter.

Severus had made a serious miscalculation. He needed to move, say something, but his whole body seemed to have frozen.

Potter’s voice climbed a pitch. “O-Obvious how?”

“I asked you on a date,” said Lily as if explaining the concept of sharing to a toddler. “And you brought along _Sirius._ ”

“What? You did not!”

“Yes, I did!” Lily’s face was a vivid shade of red now. “I asked if you wanted to come to the quidditch game--”

“That was a date?” Potter yelped.

“Well, it _wasn’t_ once you brought Sirius along!” wailed Lily. Then, apparently finally realizing the full shame of it, she collapsed onto the desk and buried her head in her arms.

Severus had never seen Potter look so mortified. If he couldn’t sense the horrible conclusion to this conversation, he might have truly enjoyed it.

Potter’s voice was strangled and he barely moved his lips as he said, “I did not know that was a date.”

“Of course it was a date!” Lily lifted her head out of her arms, glaring and looking terribly close to crying. “I asked very specifically if you’d like to go to the quidditch match _with me_. With. Me. What more was I supposed to say? Would you like to go with me _on a date_? A romantic interlude? On an outing after which we might snog because I find you incredibly and unfairly fit?”

Potter brightened immediately. “Yes, actually. That would have been great--”

“Ugh!” Lily slammed her book against the table. She made to get up, but Potter grabbed her arm.

“Evans--Lily! No, listen to me! I’m sorry I was an idiot.”

Lily sat back down, and, to Severus’s horror, there were tears on her cheeks. “You could have just said no,” she choked.

“But I didn’t _want_ to say no.” And Potter, with his nasty blood-traitor hands, tucked Lily’s hair behind her ear and tugged on her shoulders until she had to look at him.

“Lily, I didn’t realize you were asking me on a date. Honest! But it wasn’t because I didn’t want to go out with you!”

“It wasn’t?” said Lily in a small, hopeful voice.

“Bloody--Lily, of course I wanted to go out with you! What on earth made you think I didn’t?”

Lily suddenly looked upset again. “I’ve been dropping hints for _months_ , and you haven’t said anything!”

“ _Months??_ ” cried Potter. He messed up his hair frantically. “Merlin, all this time--I thought you’d hate me if I did anything! I wanted to be friends rather than nothing!”

“But you _do_ fancy me?” said Lily.

Potter blinked rather stupidly. “Evans, I never stopped. I mean, yeah, I tried to get over you, but that never really worked out too well. You can ask Padfoo--”

But Potter didn’t get to finish because Lily had flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth.

The horror was just too much. Even Severus’s stomach had stopped revolting. Instead he just sat there in numb shock, unable to do anything but stare as the image of Potter trying to eat Lily’s face was engrained in his retinas.

“Hey, about time, you two!”

Lily and Potter broke apart. Potter glared. “Can’t you see I’m busy, Wormtail?”

But Pettigrew seemed unfazed. Instead, he called out, “Padfoot, you owe me! Turns out Prongs and Lily _did_ figure it out before then end of term!”

“You lot knew Lily fancied me and didn’t tell me!”

“Mm, seven galleons to me,” chimed in Lupin. “I was right, Lily _did_ ask him out first. It’s not her fault Prongs didn’t recognized it.”

Potter sulked back into his chair. “My mates are the worst.”

Lily, who had doubled over with laughter, patted his cheek. “They love you,” she said. And then she pecked him on the lips. Potter’s expression instantly turned to one of dazed happiness. Lily’s cheeks were bright pink, but she was grinning too. She quickly swept up her books, shoving some into Potter’s arms. “C’mon. If we take these, I can finish my essay later, and we won’t have to worry about Pince lecturing.”

Potter was now positively beaming. He clambered to his feet, a dopey smile on his face. “She fancies me, you know,” said Potter, letting Lily load his arms with textbooks. “Pince, I mean. It’s painfully obvious.”

Lily just sent him a saucy look. “Too bad I’m prettier.”      

Potter bent to kiss her again, but at that moment, Madam Pince actually did appear. Hours too late. “Potter! And Miss Evans! What do you think you’re doing?”

Lily and Potter made eye contact. They held it for about three seconds; then, both bursting with laughter, they sprinted out of the library, Madam Pince screaming after them. “Is this the sort of behavior we are to expect of the Head Boy and Girl?”

The library door swung shut, cutting off Madam Pince’s lecture and, more importantly, Lily and Potter’s peals of laughter. The library was quiet again.

Severus became aware of how loudly his heart was beating. How? _How_ could she be so stupid? It must be a mistake. Potter must have done something to her. If he could just get her to _listen_  --

Severus tried to stand up. But he couldn’t. He tried to unclench his fingers from his chair. They didn’t move. He couldn’t even lift his foot from the floor.

He hadn’t been frozen with horror. Someone had put a Freezing Charm on him!

Right then, Black walked past, twirling his wand. And _smirked._

**Author's Note:**

> Casually includes my head cannon that James and Sirius constantly argue about whether broomsticks or motorcycles are better...


End file.
